In just one inning, a junior baseball player had the game of a lifetime. Northern Kentucky infielder Liam McFadden-Ackman hit two grand slams in the first inning of Sunday’s contest against Western Michigan. Two grand slams in a row, throughout the same game, by the same person.
Grand Slam: Definition & Origins
A grand slam is deemed rare, occurring approximately once every 1,500 at-bats in Major League Baseball. This is a home run hit with the bases loaded (for example, runners on first, second, and third base at the same time), scoring four runs—the most conceivable in one play. The word “grand slam” comes from a late-nineteenth-century card game in which a player won all possible hands or tricks.
Not One But Two Grand Slams
Ackman accounted for eight of the Norse’s 14 runs in the first inning. And he wasn’t finished yet.
“I kind of blacked out there if I’m being honest with you, but it was great to come back to the dugout and celebrate with my guys. It’s one of the best days at the ballpark you can have.”
McFadden-Ackman paused, hitting the ball over the fence and finished the cycle by the sixth inning, adding a single, double, and triple to his tally. McFadden-Ackman went 5 for 6, scoring four runs and driving in ten. The contest was won by the Norse 27-4.
Other “Two Grand Slam” Players
Before Liam McFadden-Ackman, thirteen players have hit two grand homers in a single Major League Baseball (MLB) game, with Josh Willingham of the Washington Nationals hitting the most recent on July 27, 2009. Here’s the full list:
- Tony Lazzeri
- Jim Tabor
- Rudy York
- Jim Gentile
- Tony Cloninger
- Jim Northrup
- Frank Robinson
- Robin Ventura
- Chris Hoiles
- Fernando Tatís
- Nomar Garciaparra
- Bill Mueller
- Josh Willingham
Every team that had two grand slams won their milestone contest. Because of the prodigious offensive performance in these games, other single-game MLB records have been established.